And if anyone gets to a game take some pics to post and let us know how you enjoyed it. I will be at a game late June against the Detroit Tigers with my son and I am really looking forward to it!!!_________________Stay low boys.... keep those feet moving!

Lets Go Bucs!!! .500 this year baby, I can feel it!!! A lot will depend on Pedro having a good year and connecting with the ball. Also not much, if anything has been done to improve the atrocious bullpen they have. Other than Joel, no one in the Pirates bullpen had any business being in a big league uniform. But I do think this is the year they get over the .500 hump. Hurdle is doing a great job._________________
Go Noles!

I am excited for the season. I am hoping this is the season that they finally get above .500, but that is a little optimistic still. I used to go to games more often when I would get season tickets from a family friend (could probably still get tickets by just mentioning his name at the ticket booth). I still remember being there for the last .500 season sadly._________________
Thanks to IDOG_det on the sig.

We'll be going to the April 21st game (we would go sooner, but I can't plan on going to games since my wife is so close to giving birth!)

How's mama and baby doing? Pregnancy is such a fun time (for the dad)... such excitement waiting for that day to come. My "baby" turns 15 in a week.

Glad to see some interest in this thread. I will try to keep it going by posting recent news and scores/highlights when I have time, or others can feel free to post those things when they can._________________Stay low boys.... keep those feet moving!

How's mama and baby doing? Pregnancy is such a fun time (for the dad)... such excitement waiting for that day to come. My "baby" turns 15 in a week.

My wife's feeling great actually. For most of the pregnancy she had very little issues. Wasn't until the 9th month did she have some minor issues, and even then, all they were, were swollen feet and issues bending over because of the belly.

Back to Pirates - Alvarez... ugh. He's so impatient at the plate. I wish there was a way to help him focus. He'd be an elite player in this league if he just learned to be patient at the plate. _________________3DS Friend Code
4038-6129-7897
Pokemon X

Have any of you guys been following much pre-season action? I'm hoping Hague wins one of the open spots for the utility guy. He leads the team in HR's and is posting a .417 BA. The thing is he only plays first and third while both Josh Harrison and Yamacio Navarro are playing almost as good plus offer the ability to play more positions.

Oh and i'm big on the minors so if anyone wants to talk prospects id be more than happy _________________

Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens finished his spring with strong four outings of work. Karstens surrendered one run on four hits while striking out one batter and throwing 35 of his 51 pitches for strikes. Karstens' ended the Grapefruit League season having surrendered four earned runs in 17 innings while striking out 10.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pedro Alvarez will remain the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting third baseman, despite a deep batting slump that began last season and has carried over into spring training.

In Grapefruit League play, Alvarez is hitting .133 and has struck out in 13 of 30 at-bats.

However, two of his four hits were home runs, and general manager Neal Huntington cast aside the notion that Alvarez might not break camp with the Pirates.

I disagree with this I like Alverez but he needs to get his stuff figured out in AAA before he is our everyday first baseman. He is really strugling up there both at the plate and in the field. If you suck in spring training against a lot of minor leaguers and backups chances are you will struggle big time in the majors. Its still till early to call Alverez a bust though, power hitters generally take longer to develop. Is say leave him in the minors for at least half the season or until he gets things figured out, put Mcgehee at 3rd, have Harrison and Navaro as the middle/3rd base backups, and platoon Jones and Hague at 1st.